Tiny Forest

Tiny Forest is a citizen science-driven urban reforestation project by Earthwatch Europe that empowers schools, communities, and volunteers to plant and monitor dense native woodlands (Tiny Forests) using simple scientific methods — fostering environmental learning, data collection and real-world inquiry across multiple STEM and curriculum areas.

Basic information

Research information

Teacher information

Description

Tiny Forest is an initiative led by Earthwatch Europe to plant small, dense woodlands—about the size of a tennis court—in urban spaces, delivering both environmental and social benefits. The approach uses the Miyawaki method of forest creation, which produces fast-growing, biodiverse native forests.

The project aims to:

• Enhance biodiversity and create nature-rich habitat patches in towns and cities;
• Support climate mitigation through carbon capture and urban heat regulation;
• Provide flood mitigation benefits through improved soil and hydrological processes;
• Connect people with nature through hands-on citizen science and outdoor learning.

Tiny Forests act as living laboratories, where participants collect environmental data that feeds into broader research and helps inform policy, community planning, and environmental education.

Basic information

Coordinator

Earthwatch Europe, https://earthwatch.org.uk/

Partners

• MINI UK & Ireland, United Kingdom – https://www.mini.co.uk/
• BlackRock, Global – https://www.blackrock.com/
• Bloomberg, Global – https://www.bloomberg.com/
• Fever-Tree, United Kingdom – https://www.fever-tree.com/
• OVO Energy, United Kingdom – https://www.ovoenergy.com/
• Severn Trent, United Kingdom – https://www.stwater.co.uk/
• Vaillant, Germany – https://www.vaillant.com/
• Admiral Group Plc, United Kingdom – https://www.admiralgroup.co.uk/
• STEM Learning, United Kingdom – https://www.stem.org.uk/
• Transport for London (TfL), United Kingdom – https://tfl.gov.uk/
• Haringey Council, United Kingdom – https://www.haringey.gov.uk/
• Ealing Council, United Kingdom – https://www.ealing.gov.uk/
• Queen’s Green Canopy, United Kingdom – https://queensgreencanopy.org/

Programme

Other (programme-other)

Project Acronym

Target groups

general public, parents, primary school students, teachers, trainee teachers

Topic

Biology, Earth science, Environmental sciences, Forestry science, Education, Other

Url

https://tinyforest.earthwatch.org.uk/

Contact person

tinyforest@earthwatch.org.uk

The Tiny Forest programme integrates scientific research and citizen science monitoring to understand how Tiny Forests develop and the environmental services they provide. Citizen scientists collect data—often via online platforms or paper forms—across key research themes:

• Biodiversity: surveys of butterflies, pollinators, and ground-dwelling invertebrates;
• Tree growth & carbon capture: measuring tree height and diameter to estimate carbon sequestration;
• Thermal comfort: recording microclimate variables (temperature, humidity, etc.) and subjective comfort reports;
• Flood management: measuring soil compaction, texture, moisture, and infiltration;
• Social impacts: collecting participant feedback on nature connectedness and outdoor engagement.

These data contribute to ongoing monitoring reports published annually, such as the 2025 Tiny Forest Monitoring Report , which analyse patterns across the Tiny Forest network and assess ecosystem service delivery, biodiversity trends, soil and hydrological changes, and social outcomes.

Researchers can use Tiny Forest monitoring data to explore topics such as urban ecosystem resilience, the effectiveness of small-scale reforestation in built environments, citizen science data quality and engagement, and climate adaptation metrics.

Papers

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For teachers and educators, Tiny Forest offers a wealth of curriculum-linked, hands-on outdoor learning resources that support STEM and cross-curricular learning. These materials help pupils engage in a real-life citizen science project:

• The Primary Monitoring Guide provides step-by-step instructions for pupils to collect data on environmental indicators in their local Tiny Forest (e.g. biodiversity counts, tree measurements, soil and climate observations).
• Monitoring survey sheets and field forms for different citizen science activities (butterflies, pollinators, ground dwellers, thermal comfort, soil and infiltration).
• Teachers’ guides and activity packs for Key Stages 1–3, aligned with the UK curriculum, offering ideas for outdoor lessons, scientific inquiry projects, and data interpretation.
• Cross-curricular ideas linking forest monitoring to maths (measurement, data analysis), science (ecosystems, climate), geography (local environment), and literacy and art (nature journals, species descriptions).

These materials are designed to make participation accessible for schools and can be used both in school grounds and in community Tiny Forests. They enable learners to practise real science skills while contributing meaningful environmental data.

All resources are available here: https://tinyforest.earthwatch.org.uk/resources#education-resources

Teaching materials

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